Critic Reviews

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90

Just Games Retro

If you’ve bought Doom since 1996, this is almost certainly the version you’ve come out with, making this review almost entirely academic. If you’ve been wondering about that fourth episode though, well, now you know. Its stunning difficulty spike is due to a few years of Doom development between it and the first three, and it is entirely built for and intended for the fans that took down Doom and Doom II and still wanted more. Even id seems to suggest that the episode is strictly optional with a throwaway gag plot, but hey… those demons had to pay for what they did to Daisy.

Even now, The Ultimate Doom remains ultimately playable, thanks in large part to the original design that allowed hackers to program their own levels. Doom isn't just a game, it's an environment. I can remember talking with a gearhead buddy of mine, discussing the use of the Doom engine as an operating environment for the office. “Yeah, I've got those third-quarter figures for you in an Excel spreadsheet,” you might e-mail a colleague. “You'll find it in the basement, next to the Baron of Hell. See you at the meeting.”

There are very few PC games that I know I'll always keep on hand, and DOOM is first and foremost among them. Whether I want to make a quick jaunt through one level or slog my way through an entire episode, id's early, surprising masterwork rarely fails to please.